Iridescent
by Challiex98
Summary: "She lights the lonely shadows with her iridescent heart." [SEASON 2]
1. Chapter 1

**IRIDESCENT**

CHAPTER | **ONE**

She'd received a phone call that morning, the minutes ticking by as the day blended into a mess of tears and heartbreak. Two tragedies had occurred in the last twelve hours, two bodies in the hospital and one butting heads with death.

When Savannah had gotten home the night before, opening the front door and swinging into the living room with a wide smile, she'd met her brother's worried eyes and a vacant couch.

Cheryl Blossom had disappeared into the night – gone, without a word. Her crimson hair tousled by the light winter breeze as she, patiently, made her way back toward Thornhill. Her eyes glistening with embers as she struck a match and watched as the flames engulfed her childhood home.

"Mother tried to save me." She had told Savannah, her voice was steady and void of emotion. "She's in the hospital."

The red-haired girl gently laid her head on the brunette's shoulder, eyelashes fluttering as she closed her bright eyes.

Savannah let out a sigh, her sight set on the woman wrapped in bandages, the white fabric hiding what would be very harsh and vibrant scars.

Her mind strayed from Penelope Blossom as she thought of Jughead Jones, the boy who was in the same hospital, just a few doors down.

Her lips tingled as she thought of their kiss, of how he had smiled afterward, an uncharacteristic expression for the brooding Jones boy.

Then, just as quickly, the smile that spread across her own face, fell. With Jughead Jones came Archie Andrews.

The second tragedy that had befell them that night was that Fred Andrews, the single last soul that had been left untarnished by the darkness that surrounded Jason Blossom's death, had been shot by a hooded man.

Archie's hands had been covered in blood, coating the bed of his fingernails. Last she'd heard, Veronica had managed to convince him to go home and shower. Although, the situation must have changed, she guessed, as Veronica sat beside Josie near the vending machines.

"How is Archie?"

Jughead whirled around to see her gazing back at him, eyes soft and curious. Her hair had been scraped back into a messy ponytail and she had no makeup on - the telling signs of a tiresome night.

"As good as can be expected." Jughead told her, unable to stop himself from moving toward her. "How's Cheryl?"

"As good as can be expected." Savannah repeated his words back to him.

The boy smiled, and the girl attempted to commit the image to memory. Her hand sought his out, fingers interlacing with his own.

"Did you sleep?"

His question seemed so mundane, too ordinary for a situation like theirs. A life was hanging in the balance, and all she could think about was how he suited his hair messy, dark tufts sticking up in all directions.

"Barely." Savannah told him, glancing down at their joined fingers, her toes just a few inches away from his thick boots. "I came home and Cheryl had vanished, she wasn't answering her phone, I was worried."

Jughead nodded but didn't say anything.

They stood there, basking in the silence for a while, both extremely aware of their touching fingertips.

Savannah peered over his shoulder, taking in a ragged Betty and a tired Kevin amongst the supporting Pussycats and Bulldogs.

"How did you get here anyway?" Savannah asked the boy suddenly, her eyebrows pinching together in thought.

The trailer park was a little while from the Hospital.

Jughead grinned impishly, "Took the bike."

"Your dad's bike?" She asked curiously.

"Yeah," He nodded excitedly. "I never understood the lure of a motorcycle before."

Savannah shook her head with a soft smile, "Let me guess, you're a changed man?"

Jughead merely shared her smile and turned to look at Betty over his shoulder. "Uh, I hope you don't mind but... Betty and I were going to Pop's. Archie can't find his dad's wallet and he's at the station doing a lineup, so..."

Savannah felt the familiar green monster start to swirl in her stomach, but she pushed it down the best that she could. "Why would I mind?" She said sweetly.

"Just cause you know, Betty and I kissed before..." Jughead said awkwardly, "You and I kissed last night."

"As long as you don't go kissing any other girls, I think we'll be fine." Savannah told him, stepping forward as if to repeat last night's actions.

A blonde popped up behind Jughead, causing the brunette to take a step back, pulling her hand back to her side.

"Sorry to interrupt." Betty held her hands up in surrender, "Archie just called to see if we've found the wallet, so I think we should go."

Jughead opened his mouth to say something to Savannah, but the brunette shook her head quickly.

"We'll talk when you're back, don't be long." She said quietly, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. "And bring me back a burger."

Jughead grinned at the girl and nodded, looking to Betty who fell into step with him, the two leaving the hospital together.

Savannah couldn't help but feel relieved at the large gap that Jughead left between them as they walked away. It seemed to somewhat settle her stomach at the stomach churning image of Betty clinging to Jughead as they flew down the streets of Riverdale.

* * *

It wasn't long after Betty and Jughead had gone that Archie reappeared at the hospital. His girlfriend had vanished, chasing after her mother who was headed in the direction of the Chapel.

He was greeted by Reggie, who told him of the Bulldogs support, and Josie, who insisted that the Pussycats were there for him too. Archie seemed to scan the room for an even more familiar face, only setting eyes upon Kevin and Savannah, who sat in the corner with a plastic cup of hot chocolate.

"Archie." The brunette murmured, placing her cup down on the table and hurrying over to him.

"Savannah." He nodded to her, his mind swirling with the thoughts that plagued his mind.

"I'm not going to ask how you are." She told him, reaching forward to place her hand on his shoulder in comfort. "Just know that we're here for you, okay?"

"Thanks." Archie gave a half-smile, one that didn't quite meet his eyes, which considering the circumstances, she didn't expect it to.

"Archie," A man dressed in blue and white approached them, either a doctor or a nurse, Savannah didn't quite know. "He's in room 12. You can see him."

"Okay, great." Archie moved around the man, when he was quickly called back.

"Listen, he hasn't woken up yet, but talk to him." He advised, "Coax him back. Keep it positive, honestly, that can make all the difference."

Savannah watched Archie turn around again, and in an instant, she was by his side. She linked her arm through his, understanding how, wordlessly, he didn't want to be alone right now. With Betty and Jughead at Pop's and Veronica with her mother, Savannah was the only one left.

Archie didn't look at the girl as they made their way down the narrow hallways of the hospital, her hand felt hot against his jacket, feeling her touch on his skin despite the thick fabric. When they reached the room, his non-broken hand reached across to cover her own.

A silent thank you to the girl.

"Would you like me to stay outside?" Savannah asked him quietly, hazel eyes peering up at the tall boy.

"Please."

There was a solid black chair just outside the door, which Savannah eyed with distaste but took a seat anyway, allowing Archie some alone time with his father.

He left the door open, and Savannah could hear every word that he spoke. Every heartbroken word that fell from his dry, cracked lips felt like a knife to the chest, twisting and turning to draw out the agony that was as arduous as a single gunshot.

She waited until he grew silent to stand and appear in the doorway, her phone held up as a sign, almost like evidence. "Jughead and Betty are on their way back."

Archie nodded and stood, letting go of his father's hands without another word. He sent one more look of longing before joining the girl by the door and stepping into the hallway with her.

They didn't speak as they headed back toward the waiting room, and this time, Savannah did not reach for him. It was as if he were too fragile at this point in time, and she did not nearly know him well enough to be that crutch that he needed.

Truthfully, and with no offence to Veronica, what he needed right then, was Betty.

The raven-haired girl appeared just as Archie stepped aside to get some water. She smiled at Savannah, who stepped forward to give the girl a hug. She didn't think that it would be very easy, seeing her boyfriend in so much pain.

Veronica moved away from Savannah when Archie turned back to them, stepping forward with a small gift bag in her hand. "For your dad, when he wakes up. Very, very soon."

Archie opened up the box with little difficulty, surprising considering his injury. His eyes settled on a leather wallet and a small laugh escaped his lips.

"Just to tide him over until we find his tried and true." Veronica said with pep.

"When did you even go to Barnaby's?"

"I didn't." Veronica admitted, glancing down. "I sent Smithers. Is that cheating?"

The two moved closer to embrace and Savannah felt as if she were interrupting a moment. She turned her back and walked away, until she couldn't hear the soft words spoken between the two lovebirds.

"Who's hungry?" Jughead announced to the group, a collection of food gathered in he and Betty's arms. Savannah didn't want to know how they managed to get that from Pop's on his bike. "We've got burgers and fries and onion rings."

The group of teenagers in the room hopped to their feet, hollering as they all crowded around the two. Kevin leapt up and joined the stampeed as Savannah stood back, her eyes locked onto the dark-haired boy who was passing out food.

Amongst all this, somehow, Betty had slipped away from the group and popped up next to Savannah. "As promised." She piped up, holding out a cheeseburger to the girl, "Just cheese, no sauce or pickles, how you like it."

Savannah frowned and opened her mouth to speak when Betty sent a meaningful look in the Jones boy's direction. An action to which she couldn't help but smile.

"I swiped some fries for Cheryl, I wasn't sure what she'd eat."

"Thank you." Savannah said to the girl sincerely. Her eyes flickered over to Jughead once more. "Let him know that I'll see him later, okay?"

"Okay." Betty nodded with a smile.

It was certainly an image. A flock of teenagers cheering in the waiting room of a hospital, such an ironic picture, as people fought for their lives and horror was the generic atmosphere of this place. Nurses tried to quieten the noise whilst a brunette pushed through the hoard, trying to find her friend who was floating around the hospital.

And she found her, standing outside Fred Andrew's hospital room, hands clasped behind her back.

"Betty got you some fries, she wasn't sure if you'd want them." Savannah held them up as an offer.

"No thank you." Cheryl replied, her voice void of emotion, much like how she had been since her brother died.

A girl who faced far too much tragedy, and met each hurdle head on. Everyone had assumed her family was perfect, until the death of Jason Blossom tore back the curtains to see the ugly truth of the matter.

A mother who abused her daughter, blamed her for her son's death, when the reality had been staring her in the face. The ring on her finger symbolised her bond to the man who killed her son, her very own husband.

Not perfect. Tragic.

"Would you apologise to your brother for me?" Cheryl asked quietly.

"You have nothing to apologise for." Savannah frowned at the girl, thinking of her brother, who had to go to work and couldn't have joined them.

"Is he picking you up soon?" Cheryl ignored the girl's answer, still facing away from her.

"I can stay as long as you'd like -"

"I think I'd like to be alone for now, if that's okay?"

Savannah wanted to say no, she wanted to stay and comfort her friend in her time of need, but if she didn't want her there, then she'd leave. Archie was in good hands with his best friends and girlfriend, he didn't need her imposing on their moment.

"Okay," Savannah nodded, swallowing thickly. "I'll stop by tomorrow."

"That's kind of you."

"Let me know if you need _anything_." Savannah encouraged, "I'm only a phonecall away."

"I will, thank you." Cheryl said wistfully, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to pay Fred Andrews a visit."

* * *

 **a/n: Hey guys! Sorry it took FOREVER for me to get this chapter out, I've been exceptionally lazy, I apologise. I'm trying not to make this book as jumpy as the last one because I know I rushed things and I plan to go back and fix them eventually. Anyways, hope you enjoyed!**

 **(Also, let me know if there are any mistakes, I can't see them after I've written cause I just read it the same way :) Thanks! )**


	2. Chapter 2

**IRIDESCENT**

CHAPTER | **TWO**

The jingling of a tiny silver bell went unheard by the many occupants in the small yet bustling cafe, all bar one. The girl sat at a small round wooden table, a cold cup of coffee placed to the side of her unopened book.

She was expecting someone, hence her attentiveness toward the bell above the cafe door, perking up each time the slight breeze hit the underside of her bare thigh.

He appeared a few minutes later, his hand ruffling through his hair as he surveyed the room, eyes settling on a girl who sat alone, waiting for him.

She was beautiful, brunette, with chestnut coloured tones running through her hair, most likely lightened by her time in the sun.

"Jessica, right?" He asked with a smile.

"That's me." The girl responded, her eyes twinkling over the brim of her latte.

Across the room, with a bitter taste in her mouth, Cheryl Blossom scowled. Her red nails clacked against the woodwork, heels swinging almost dangerously under the table.

Kyle Clarke was meeting a girl - and it wasn't her.

Savannah had mentioned to Cheryl at the hospital the other day that Kyle was meeting a girl from high school, an old flame who was visiting Riverdale. Cheryl did not like that at all.

The boy had been kind to her, taking care of her after the _incident._ She'd fallen asleep next to him, thinking how easy it had been, how content she had felt in his company.

"Forgotten me already, Clarke?" Jessica laughed lightly, placing her mug down to rise from her seat and embrace the tall boy.

"You? Never." He replied with a smile.

Cheryl grimaced. Her fingers danced across the book she brought, never intending on reading it. She picked it up and opened to a random page, listening to their conversation as the minutes ticked by, and their words seemed never ending.

Until Jessica finally stood and with a smile, said the words that Cheryl had been longing to hear. She had to go.

They shared a hug and Kyle retook his seat for a moment longer, finishing the drink that he had ordered before he, too, stood as if to leave. It was as he turned around that a flash of crimson hair caught his eye, Cheryl Blossom.

"Cheryl?" He asked almost hesitantly, moving across the cafe to the girl who hid behind a book.

The girl smiled, almost secretly, and placed down her book, letting the pages spring back together as she no longer needed her cover. "Kyle? Oh, my goodness, it's so good to see you."

She didn't stand, and Kyle didn't sit.

"Yeah, it's been a little while." Kyle nodded solemnly, "I'm really sorry about your mom, how is she doing?"

Cheryl inwardly rolled her eyes at the mention of the woman, but put on a fake sad smile, "She's doing okay, I guess. She tried to save me from the fire, if not for her..." She trailed off.

Kyle didn't press her to continue and placed a hand on her shoulder. "If there's anything I can do."

"Of course." Cheryl nodded, her eyes locking onto his. It seemed so odd, yet so comforting, that as she stared into the eyes that looked so much like her friend's, she felt like he knew her more than anybody.

Kyle lifted his hand from her shoulder and with a final smile, he said, "It was great seeing you, Cheryl."

She couldn't even open her mouth to respond to his goodbye, for he was out the door and down the street in a matter of seconds.

Catching the attention of Kyle Clarke was going to be more difficult than she expected.

* * *

"It's another win for the bad guys," Jughead was saying, his hands interlocked as he stared down at the table. "No one was there. His entire staff quit, well, except you." He directed toward his secret non/potential girlfriend.

Savannah frowned sadly at the thought of Pop Tate, sitting alone in his diner. "I guess there's no point in going in for my shift tonight." She sighed, "I suppose Pop could use the company though."

"He says he's not sure how long he'll be able to keep the doors open. Maybe not even a week." Jughead continued, only looking up to meet a pair of hazel eyes when a slender ankle hooked around his own.

The brunette across from him returned her attention to the hot chocolate that Veronica had brought her. Such a kind gesture that Savannah appreciated during a time like this.

"It's because of what happened to my dad." Archie spoke up from beside Savannah, "People are freaking out. I gotta be honest, guys, I don't see myself going back anytime soon."

"Wait, I'm sorry." Betty interjected with a simple shake of her head. "Am I hearing acceptance? I'm not letting one psychopath with a gun dictate what happens to our place. Jug, you went crazy trying to save the drive-in."

Jughead tore his eyes from Savannah, who was peeking over the top of her cup to see his face. "I can't take on any more social issues right now. My hands are full."

"With your dad, of course." Betty nodded in understanding, placing a hand on Jughead's arm. "And he should be your priority. I'll take point on helping Pop Tate."

Savannah was glaring at the hand on Jughead's jacket-clad bicep with distaste. Her hot chocolate was placed loudly down on the table, causing Betty to retract her arm quickly and Jughead to look back at the girl with a raised eyebrow.

The two hadn't had much time to talk about their relationship with Fred Andrews' case and Cheryl's mother in the hospital, both torn in opposite directions. It didn't help that their friendship group was glued together, finding it impossible to slip away without alerting their attention.

"I'll help too, Betty." Veronica snapped Savannah out of her thoughts, Jughead's eyes still following the girl's movements. "Anything to get me away from my parents, I'm in."

"I gotta go." Jughead announced suddenly, "I'm off to meet my dad's court-appointed joke of a lawyer at the sheriff's station."

"I'm gonna come with you, Jug." Archie said, the two of them collecting their things. "I gotta drop some flyers off for Sheriff Keller."

"Bye." Betty and Veronica chorused, the latter offering her boyfriend a farewell kiss.

"Talk later?" Jughead lingered for a second as Savannah stood up to let Archie slide out from between her and Veronica.

"Sure." Savannah nodded, her arms folded tightly as if to hold herself together.

Jughead could sense that she was tense and stuck in her head, and so he did the only thing that came to mind to ease her discomfort. He swooped in and placed a kiss on her cheek, a smirk lacing his mouth as he sauntered away with Archie, leaving Savannah to the wolves.

The brunette felt her cheeks go red as she retook her seat, sitting stiffly like a robot, feeling both Betty and Veronica's eyes on her.

"Excuse me, what was that about?" Veronica asked when she realised Savannah wasn't going to talk. "Did our brooding wanna-be bad boy just kiss your oh-so red cheek? Did I miss something?" She directed the last part to Betty, who shrugged.

"It's nothing." Savannah said swiftly, sipping at her lukewarm hot chocolate.

"That," Veronica gestured to the boy's retreating back, "Was not nothing. Spill."

"Really." She insisted with a quiet sigh. "We kissed the night of the jubilee, that's it."

Betty suddenly frowned, "But you weren't there that night, you stayed home with Cheryl."

Savannah squeaked and quickly occupied herself with taking another large gulp of her drink. "I kinda... met him at his trailer?"

"Savannah Clarke!" Veronica gasped loudly, "You went back to his trailer, where you would be alone, and are only now telling us that you embarked on a night of passion with Jughead Jones?"

"We just kissed!" Savannah insisted, eyes wide at the chaos that Jughead caused. "Honestly, we haven't even had time to talk about it yet with everything that's going on."

Veronica shared a look with Betty, both of their expressions read that they were going to do something about that.

* * *

"So, Mayor McCoy has refused to help us, or FP, and Cheryl practically berated us for even asking for the Vixens' help." Betty sighed, looking up at Savannah who was chewing the end of her pen.

"I'll see what I can do to convince Cheryl." Savannah offered, "Not sure if she'll listen to me, but I can only try."

"Thank you." Betty reached across the table to place a hand on Savannah's.

The two girls were sitting in the Blue and Gold room alone, both had a free period and decided to seek out their quiet little space instead of study hall, where the teacher would be absent and students causing mayhem.

There was a beat of silence after Betty removed her hand before she spoke up again, "So, you and Jughead, huh?"

Savannah placed down her pen on the table, "I guess so." She shrugged, eyes sliding up from her notepad to settle upon Betty's curious gaze. "Does that bother you?"

Betty frowned at her friend's sudden question, "No, of course not." She raised a brow, "Why would you think that?"

"I think I'm just jealous." Savannah said truthfully, "You and Jughead are so close, but I need to realise that if you two have been friends for years and nothing has happened, then there's a reason for that."

Betty watched as Savannah returned to her notes, underlining a particularly important piece of information. "Yeah." She murmured, "You're right."

Savannah glanced up at her tone, just as Archie burst through the doors, his face coated in sweat and clear panic. His eyes were wide, yet unseeing as he frantically looked around the room.

"Arch?" Betty was up in an instant, Savannah following suit quick after. "What's wrong?"

"Ms. Grundy." Archie panted out as if he were in pain. "She's dead."

Savannah's hands shot to her mouth as Betty fell back into her seat in shock. The brunette shook her head slowly before she staggered forward a few steps to embrace the shaking boy in her arms, feeling one of his tears drop onto her collarbone with the harsh movement.

"I'm so sorry, Archie." Savannah whispered to him, the familiar pain of loss flaring up in her stomach as his hair rubbed against her cheek.

It was so _familiar._ He was as broad and built as _him_ , his hair felt like _his,_ and the soft touch of his letterman jacket just made her feel as if it wasn't Archie Andrews she was hugging, but someone else entirely. And that alone, made her pull him even tighter.

He smelled like the rough leather of a football and a vanilla milkshake, a scent that confused her. Jason always preferred strawberry.

A blonde came up behind them and placed a hand on Archie's shoulder, causing Savannah to let go suddenly, blinking quickly. _Polly._

"Savannah?" Archie asked, his brows furrowed as the girl felt her eyes well up.

"Sorry." Savannah blinked again, glancing between her two friends. Betty and Archie. Not Jason and Polly. "I guess I just know how you feel." She turned away from the pair, who eyed the girl suspiciously.

Betty caught Archie's eye as the brunette started to pack up her stuff, slowly. They both knew who she was thinking of.

"What do you want to do, Arch?"

"I want to go to your mom."

It was that simple phrase that landed the three in the Cooper living room. Savannah couldn't help but feel uncomfortable as she eyed a framed picture of Polly. She supposed she shouldn't feel so guilty anymore, Betty having told her about the incestuous relationship between Jason and Polly.

She wasn't surprised. No wonder the Blossom's didn't want them together so badly. If anything, they were now the scandalous couple.

"You're twitching, Archie." Alice Cooper said, crossing her legs from her position on the couch. "Which means this must be serious."

"I think the same person who shot my dad may have murdered Ms. Grundy."

Savannah wanted to snort. How blunt.

"My, my. We've come a long way since dances at the gym and varsity football tryouts, haven't we?"

"You were the first to know anything about Jason's autopsy."

Savannah's head snapped up at the mention of his name and she quickly murmured a goodbye, bursting out the front door of their house moments later. She was getting better, she was coming to terms with his death, but it didn't mean that she no longer missed him.

"You okay?" Archie asked, coming out of the house behind her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Savannah shook him off, waiting for him to follow her down the steps and along the road. "Is she going to help?"

"She is." Archie announced with a deep breath. "I just have a bad feeling about this."

"Well, that's Riverdale for you." Savannah murmured, pulling her phone from her jacket pocket to look at the time. "Ah crap."

"What is it?"

"I need to go meet Kelly."

Archie frowned as the girl quickened her pace. "Who exactly is Kelly?"

"My therapist." She answered without thinking, stopping suddenly when she realised what she had said. No one knew about Kelly, no one was supposed to know about Kelly. Her eyes widened as she turned to a stunned Archie. "You can't tell anyone."

"Why?" Archie asked her, "Is it something serious?"

"No – I mean, I guess." Savannah ran her hands through her hair in a panic. "Weatherbee wanted me to see her after my dad died. She's been – somewhat – helping me."

Archie simply nodded, saying nothing.

"I need to go, please." She pressed her hands together almost in a prayer as she started moving backwards, "Don't say anything, please."

"I won't." Archie promised with a nod, watching as the girl smiled and broke out into a run in the opposite direction, her hair bouncing with every stride.

* * *

"Tell me that you're calling to say you've changed your mind." Savannah almost begged into the phone, one arm out to keep her balance on the edge of the curb. She watched her feet as she put one foot in front of the other.

"Betty can be quite..." Cheryl paused on the other line, "Let's say, convincing."

"I won't ask." Savannah laughed, jumping down onto the road. "You're going to look so cute in one of Pop's tees. I bet yellow is your colour."

"Every colour is _my_ colour." The red head responded confidently.

Savannah snorted attractively. "Sure, whatever you say Cheryl. Guess I'll see you at Pop's then."

"I guess you will." Cheryl replied, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "I can't wait to get out of this court house."

Savannah stopped suddenly in her tracks, eyebrows furrowed. "Why are you in the court house?"

"Betty and Jughead asked me to publicly forgive that monster that manhandled my brother's body so he'd get a lesser sentence." Cheryl scoffed in distaste for the man. "Didn't they tell you?"

"Of course they did." Savannah lied through her teeth, starting to walk toward her house again. "I gotta go, I promised Kyle that we'd have a _family dinner._ "

Cheryl was silent on the other side of the phone for a moment. "Do you think I could come to your house to get ready?"

Savannah shrugged, "Sure, text me when you're on your way."

"Fantastic. See you then."

"Byeee." Savannah drew out, pocketing her phone as she approached her house, unaware of the devilish smile on Cheryl's face less than a couple of miles away.

The brunette jumped up the few stairs that led to her house, thoughts racing through her mind as she went. She wondered why Jughead had went to Betty instead of her. Going to see Mayor McCoy was one thing, but it felt like Jason's murder all over again - she felt left out.

Savannah hollered for her brother once she stepped inside the house, tossing down her backpack.

"In the kitchen!"

She threw her keys into the bowl on the bookcase and made her way into the kitchen, turning the corner to see a horrific sight - one she didn't expect to see in a while.

Their mother.

"Mom?!"

Kyle eyed his sister warily as their mother smiled back at her daughter. He hadn't expected to find her home when he got home from work either, but there she was, in a red pencil skirt and a white shirt.

"Hi honey." Her mother said quietly, in a small velvety voice that sounded nothing like the woman that left them a little while ago. Usually she didn't turn up for months.

Savannah gaped at her mother, mouth flapping like a fish as she took in the new haircut, the perfectly applied makeup and flawless manicure. She looked like the woman in the photos, before their father became an alcoholic.

"I was hoping we could have a family night in."

The brunette's eyes narrowed angrily. "Actually, I have plans with my friends. We're trying to do something good for Pop since his diner is on the verge of closing, but you'd know that if you were here."

"Savannah..." Kyle broke in, his tone soft as he spoke to his sister.

"No." She held up a hand to her sister, "I can't deal with this right now."

Kyle glanced between his mother and his sister as she flew out of the kitchen and back out the front door. So much for a happy welcome.

* * *

Unfortunately for Cheryl, the two girls ended up getting ready at the new Blossom residence. She'd been excited to see Kyle, but disgusted to hear that their excuse for a mother had returned.

Dressed in her yellow work polo and some black jeans, Savannah stepped foot into Pop's, long after she was supposed to.

Cheryl wasn't exactly fond of being on time.

The first thing Savannah saw was Betty giving Jughead a hug from behind the counter - both wearing similar outfits to hers.

"Savannah!" Jughead cried when he saw her, moving away from Betty to greet the brunette with a kiss on the cheek.

Savannah slightly pulled back from him with a tight smile. "Why didn't you tell me about Cheryl and the courthouse?"

Jughead frowned, "I didn't realise I had to."

"It just seems like every time you have a problem, you go to Betty." Savannah said, bluntly.

"She's one of my closest friends."

"And I'm just the disgusting adulterer who you were unfortunate enough to be paired up with in class."

"No, Savannah, come on." Jughead sighed, moving to take her hands. "You know I care about you."

"Do you?" Savannah asked, harshly.

She tugged her hands from his grasp and walked away, bumping into a familiar face on her way out.

"Hey, you okay?" She asked, glancing up at Cheryl on the roof of Pop's for a moment.

"Yeah." Archie Andrews replied. "I'm fine."


	3. Chapter 3

**IRIDESCENT**

CHAPTER | **THREE**

Truthfully? She'd been seeking him out the second she turned her back to Jughead. The boy that felt so familiar to her, despite barely knowing him. They'd been growing closer - they were friends.

"Betty and Jughead?" Archie had asked, the two sitting in a booth.

He'd struggled to enter the diner, but with a little helping hand from his friend, he'd sucked in a deep breath and overcome his fear. He could feel the barrel of a gun pressed against his head as soon as the bell jingled above their heads.

"Yeah." Savannah asked, supporting her head with her hands. "Am I crazy? I mean, they kissed, and he said it meant nothing."

"Hold on." Archie held up a hand. "They kissed?"

"Did they not tell you?" Savannah sat back suddenly, feeling sheepish. "Whoops. Surprise!"

The two were silent for a moment before Savannah placed a hand on Archie's in comfort.

"Are you okay?"

Archie didn't get to respond as Veronica came bounding over, her eyes locking onto their hands. Savannah retracted her hand with a smile and slid out of the booth, placing a hand on Veronica's shoulder.

She didn't say a word as Veronica turned her gaze to her boyfriend in concern.

Savannah watched the two converse quietly, Veronica pressing a kiss to Archie's cheek. It made her feel guilty for how she had spoken to Jughead - her somewhat boyfriend.

"Savannah."

The voice made a shiver run down her spine, the name sounding so familiar on the woman's tongue, yet she felt so much like a stranger. She hadn't expected her mother to turn up at the diner, not tonight, and not with Kyle by her side.

Cheryl would be pleased.

"Mom." She cleared her throat, stepping forward to them, holding her hands up in protest when her mother moved forward for a hug.

Patricia Clarke didn't flinch as she stepped back, "I'm sorry you couldn't have dinner with us, but I thought I could meet your friends."

Cheryl swooped in suddenly, as if she had a "Kyle" radar installed in her brain. "Hi, I'm Cheryl Blossom, Savannah's best friend and Kyle's future wife. It's so nice to meet you!"

Kyle choked at the mention of his name, eyes growing wide at the red-headed girl.

"Oh, you're dating my son?" Patricia asked, curiously.

"Not yet, anyway." Cheryl winked at the boy before plucking a cherry from a nearby milkshake and tugging it off the stem.

"Alrighty then, well I'm going to head out." Savannah announced, growing uncomfortable with her friend's advances toward her brother.

"When will you be home?"

"I won't, I'm staying at a friend's tonight." She said, sending a glare at Cheryl, one that held an underlying message.

"Oh yeah!" Cheryl piped up suddenly, "She's staying with -"

"Me." A voice broke in suddenly.

Savannah whirled around to face Jughead, his eyes trained on the woman in front of them. She stared at him, mouth agape as he slid his fingers through her own and gently pulled her to him, without resistance from her.

"I am?" Savannah asked him quietly.

"Yeah, you are." Jughead replied, removing his hand from hers to instead wrap around her waist. "Mrs. Clarke." He turned to the woman abruptly, "I'm Jughead Jones, your daughter's boyfriend."

"Jones, huh?" She repeated with a raise of her eyebrows. "It's very nice to meet you, Jughead." She offered a hand to him.

Jughead didn't move away from Savannah as he shook her hand with his free one. "Well, we best be off."

"I don't know if I feel comfortable with you staying with a boy, Savannah." Patricia said to her daughter, clasping her hands together. "As your mother, I insist -"

"As my mother, you should have been there for me when I needed you the most." Savannah snapped, eyes flaming. "You weren't. Jughead was. Now, if you'll excuse us."

"It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Clarke."

* * *

She wondered what it would be like when FP returned home.

If he returned home.

Would she be able to turn up at his trailer whenever she wanted, like she did? She doubted it. The trailer only had one room and Jughead would be sleeping on the couch when his dad came home, she was sure of it. He wouldn't kick his father out of his bed.

Savannah took a seat on the couch as Jughead took off his hat, throwing it onto the coffee table. She felt awkward, uneasy - shifty.

"I'm sorry about earlier." She broke out, eventually.

"It's okay." Jughead told her, sitting on the armrest of the couch, away from her. "Can I ask what that was about?"

Savannah let out a breath in one big gust. "I guess I'm just jealous. You always go to Betty for help and you never ask me. I'm supposed to be your... I don't know, whatever I am."

"What do you want to be?" Jughead asked her calmly, moving from the armrest to right next to her.

Her eyes latched onto his own, feeling the warmth within them and the green that soothed the raging storm in hers. She felt his hand caress her cheek and she closed her eyes, feeling his fingers trail to the back of her neck, where they paused - waiting.

"Yours." She breathed, instantly feeling his lips against her own.

It was better than talking, she decided. The question that had been nagging at her for days, the question that begged to know what they were, grew silent in the back of her head. He had that effect on her, numbing her to everything else in the world - bar him.

She was glad he had taken his had off, giving her hands the satisfaction of burying themselves in his hair. One of his own tangled in her brown locks, the other moving down from her neck to her waist, raising goosebumps over her body as he went.

"Then you can be mine." Jughead murmured against her lips, breaking away to trail kisses down her neck and collarbone.

It didn't go much further than that. Innocent strokes of bare skin from raised shirts, and soft kisses. But that was enough for Savannah, something that wouldn't have been the case a few months before.

She fell asleep in his bed, wearing one of his shirts as a night dress, with his arms wrapped around her in a tight embrace.

It was so peaceful and comforting that Savannah hoped they could stay there forever. A wish that went ungranted, as not even an hour later, Jughead's phone went off, and he slipped from the bed, unaware that he had woken her.

"We didn't have a choice. Is something wrong?" There was a pause as someone spoke on the other side. "No, she said it was a favour." Another pause. "Why? Dad?"

He returned to the bed a little while after, laying away from the girl that he desperately longed to touch. The pit that swirled in the bottom of his stomach kept him awake, all night, and the girl beside him too.

* * *

"It was full on Carrie." Kevin told them, recalling last night's shocking tale of how Midge and Moose were attacked by a man in the woods. "Midge covered in Moose's blood, screaming like a banshee. It was insane."

"Kev, what were you even doing there?" Archie asked as he walked into the room. "You could have been shot too."

"I was just night-jogging." He defended himself, "You know, as one does and suddenly, I hear gunshots."

"Night-jogging?" Savannah repeated to Jughead, the two sharing an armchair with her legs thrown over his and off the side of the armrest. His hand was placed on her knee, something that each member of their group had avoided commenting on.

Jughead merely shrugged.

"Look, can we at least agree now that there's a killer on the loose?" Archie begged of his friends, taking a seat on the leather couch.

"With terrible aim." Jughead commented.

"Jughead, he murdered Ms. Grundy."

"Arch," Betty jumped in - as if to defend Jughead. "We don't know that these three crimes are related."

Veronica broke in, "Guys, can we focus on what matters here? Midge and Moose are alive, Archie's dad survived. The new season of the Matchlerette starts tonight, you're coming over to watch."

"There's a shooter terrorising the town." Jughead said slowly in disbelief that Veronica would talk of such mundane things like reality TV in a moment like this. "You really want us to watch a gross reality dating show?"

"What I really want is for you guys to meet my dad, officially."

"I'd rather spar off with a deadly snake." Savannah whispered to Jughead, who let out a light breath of laughter. "Or better yet, my mother."

"Have you spoken to her today?" Jughead asked quietly, his hand sliding up and down her leg slightly, as if to comfort her.

"Nope, but she's tried calling me a million times." Savannah sighed, "It doesn't matter though, I'm not going to answer."

She heard Betty agree that they would be at Veronica's that night to meet her father and inwardly groaned. Jughead opened his mouth to make up an excuse as to why the two couldn't make it, when Reggie poked his head through the door.

"Hey Andrews, we're going to the hospital to see Moose. You coming?"

"Yeah, for sure." Archie stood up immediately. "See you tonight, Ronnie."

Jughead moved Savannah's legs off him, "I better go too. I was supposed to meet by peer mentor at Southsid High like half an hour ago."

"I wish you could keep going here." Savannah pouted as he picked up his messenger bag.

"I'll miss you too." Jughead leaned over the girl and planted a soft kiss on her lips. "See you tonight?"

"You better."

* * *

In the end, Jughead went to meet Hiram Lodge with the rest of the gang, whilst Savannah finally ventured home to face the woman that abandoned she and her brother.

"Oh Savannah!" The woman basically sang when she saw her daughter stumble through the front door, "I was so worried about you!"

"I told you I was staying at Jughead's and then I went to school." Savannah deadpanned, rolling her eyes as she tossed her bag down.

Patricia visibly grimaced when the bag hit the floor, but pushed it aside for the time being. "It would have been nice if you had simply sent one text to say you were okay."

"You didn't seem to worry about me when you left." Savannah saw Kyle come out from the kitchen behind their mother. "Or how about when you let your husband beat on both of your children."

"Savannah..." Kyle interjected, moving to his mother's aid and placing a hand on her shoulder. "He hurt her too, not just us."

"Yeah but most people go to the police." Savannah snapped back, moving toward the stairs. "Not push their husband down the damn stairs."

Patricia's eyes grew wide as she watched her daughter disappear, and her son's hand fell from her arm.

"What did she mean by that?" Kyle moved into her field of view suddenly. "You said it was an accident."

"It was baby, it was." Patricia cooed, moving to place her hands on her son's face.

Kyle flinched away, "You pushed him?" He almost cried, the memories of his father flashing before his eyes. The times that they played football in the back garden; the action movies that they'd watch way past his bed time; and how he screamed the loudest at his son's first game.

The happy image of a doting husband and a loving father was corrupted when his mother died, and in his grief, his wife sought out the arms of another man. He turned to drinking, taking his anger out on the woman who broke his heart and the children they shared.

"He didn't deserve to die." Kyle choked out, moving out of his mother's grasp. "He wasn't always like that, it was only after..." He trailed off.

"She started screwing another man." Savannah broke in, having returned to the top of the stairs. "Guess you taught me well, Mom. I was also the other woman."

* * *

Kyle sat in the near silence of Pop's diner, as his sister bustled around behind the counter to fill drained coffee cups and clear away empty plates.

He had never felt so alone.

The diner gave off the sense of chills when someone would enter it, as if knowing that someone almost lost their life here. So while people sat and ate, they did so quietly, as if not to bring back the horrific demons that plagued this town.

All those, except Cheryl Blossom.

She bounced into the diner with a wink to her friend at the counter, and swiftly took a seat across from the male Clarke sibling.

"Good evening, Mr. Clarke." She greeted.

"Cheryl." Kyle responded dryly. "I would say it's good to see you, however I'm having a rather bad day."

"Oh dear." Cheryl pouted, placing her clasped hands on the table. "Feel free to confide in me. After all, I did in you."

Kyle paused for a moment, not missing the suggestive tone in her voice. "You realise that I'm too old for you, right, Cheryl?"

She let out a tinkling laugh, "Oh, what is this, Girl Meets World?"

"What?"

"Plus, if I do recall your last girlfriend being the same age as me."

"That's different." Kyle argued, "We grew up together."

"Are we not still aging and growing within ourselves, becoming more mature and learning life's lessons?" Cheryl smiled, making Kyle grow uneasy.

"Well, yeah, I guess -"

"That settles it." Cheryl stood up suddenly. "I look forward to growing with you, Kyle. Pick me up this Friday at 8. I'll be waiting."

And then she was gone, with a flash of red and a chiming of a doorbell, leaving Kyle alone, in both shock and disbelief.

Cheryl Blossom was definitely something.

* * *

"So, I guess congratulations are in order?" Savannah chirped as she plopped a kiss on Jughead's cheek, a Pop's bag in hand.

It was when he winced and moved into the light of the trailer that Savannah noticed the bruises and cuts on his face. Her eyes grew wide and she tossed the bag onto the counter before pulling him even closer into the light.

"What the _hell_ happened to you?"

"I fell off my bike." Jughead lied to her face.

Savannah flinched and stepped back from him. "Are you really going to stand there and lie to me?"

"I'm not lying, I did -"

"You think I didn't see these marks on my brother's face every other day? On my mother's skin, on my own?" Savannah took off her jacket and threw it down on the kitchen table, her eyes flaming dangerously as she stalked into the bathroom.

"Wait, what are you talking about?"

"My lovely father that the town loved to talk about..." She returned with a med-kit in hand, setting it down on the table and pulling out some antiseptic wipes. "He was a drunk and an abusive father after my mother had an affair."

"Savannah..." Jughead trailed off, allowing her to move him onto the couch and start dabbing at his cuts. "I had no idea."

"No one did." Savannah told him softly, "Except Jason... and Cheryl."

He paused for a moment, "Do you miss him?"

"Yeah, I do." Savannah said, honestly. "I do miss him, but you make me happier than I've ever been."

"You do too." Jughead replied quietly before gently pulling the girl into his lap, the wipes lay forgotten.

Her hand stroked the side of his face, making sure to avoid the bruises.

"I'm sorry your dad hurt you."

"I'm sorry that they hurt you." Savannah sighed, shuffling closer to him. "However they are."

"They're called Ghoulies." Jughead informed her, his hand resting on the inside of her thigh. "They deal in drugs like Jingle Jangle, and are much, much worse than the Serpents."

"Why aren't you wearing your jacket." Savannah pouted sadly, tugging at his flannel.

"You like the jacket?" Jughead laughed lightly.

"I'm a fan of leather." She said teasingly, before tracing his lower lip with her thumb. "They missed a spot."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."


	4. Chapter 4

**IRIDESCENT**

CHAPTER | **FOUR**

To say that Kyle was anxious about this date - that he didn't even agree to - with Cheryl, was an understatement. She was intimidating, knew what she wanted and would go to lengths to get it.

She looked stunning, of course, in a red skirt and simple black blouse with her signature spider brooch. She'd laughed at all his jokes and even slid her hand into his as he drove them to Pop's diner - a casual place, that somehow, Cheryl didn't mind him taking her to.

He'd taken Piper to the fancier restaurant just outside of town, and he didn't feel like opening an old wound tonight.

They ordered their food and as they delved into idle chit-chat, Kyle couldn't help but feel like maybe he'd been too rash in judging Cheryl. She had a dark sense of humour, true, but her family was cursed since the gunshot that killed Jason Blossom rang out into the eerie silence.

And so, when he asked her the words, "Would you like to go out again?", he couldn't help but smile when she agreed.

"Did you kiss her?" Savannah scared the life out of her brother as she swung around the side of the living room door.

"No, jeez, do you have nothing better to do than wait for me to return from my date?" Kyle threw his keys into the dish before taking in her smudged lipstick. "Or clearly you do - Hi Jughead!"

"Hello!" The boy cried back from within the living room.

Kyle couldn't help but laugh at the sheepish look on his sister's face as she started wiping around her mouth. "Where's Mom?"

"Out with her old friends." Savannah told him, "Along with the infamous Alice Cooper."

"They were friends?"

"Apparently." Savannah shrugged, "Mom never mentioned her, and Betty didn't even know until we spoke tonight, and they were going to the same place, at the same time, on the same night."

"Coincidence? I think not." Kyle added. "Well, I'm going to head upstairs and let you two frolic in sin in peace."

Savannah let out a mock gasp of delight, "Oh thank you, dear brother! You know it has been my dream to appear on _Sixteen and Pregnant_!"

"What?"

"Shh, Jughead, I'm kidding." Savannah scoffed, disappearing back into the living room. "We haven't even had sex yet, why are you worried?"

Kyle snorted and continued up the stairs. Some things he could go forever without hearing.

They'd retreated up to her room a little while after Kyle had come in from his date. Jughead decided that it would be better if Savannah changed in the bathroom, she'd quipped that it was for his sake more than her own. He didn't argue.

It was with the slam of the front door at around two in the morning, that the couple were jolted awake. Savannah had been sleeping in one of Jughead's shirts that she had stolen, paired with some shorts she'd dug out of her dresser.

"Did Kyle go out?" Jughead asked, his girlfriend hanging off his shoulder, having been laying on his chest.

Savannah rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn, "He never goes out this late."

The answer to their question came thundering up the stairs a few moments later, flinging open the door to the brunette girl's room. In the doorway, her outline illuminated by the hallway light beaming from behind her, Savannah's mother.

"Where's my little Suza-bear?" She cooed, peering further into the room.

"Mom?" Savannah couldn't believe it, yet she also should have expected it.

Her mother was unbelievably drunk, swaying in the doorway as she giggled like a young child. Why Savannah had expected something different from her, she had no idea, and while she glared at her alcoholic mother, she should have realised it was all a lie.

"She doesn't need me anymore." The woman almost wailed, her voice taking on a snarky tone. "I took all the punches, the hits, the jabs, all for my spoiled little brats."

Kyle had woken up to investigate the noise, and found his mother standing outside his younger sister's room. He caught Savannah's eye from behind her, watching as she pulled herself away from her wide-eyed boyfriend and moved toward her bedroom door.

"You're drunk." She said bluntly.

"Such a smart little pancake." Her mother cupped her cheeks and made kissy faces toward her daughter.

Savannah thrust her mother's hands from her face, which now held a very sullen look and a deep frown. "You're disgraceful."

"Oh shut up!"

"Mom!" Kyle shouted.

"You too," Their mother turned to her son, who had always been on her side. "You've turned against me too! I was protecting you, I was protecting _us!_ "

"You murdered our father!" Kyle suddenly cried out, sobering his mother up with one sentence.

Her eyes grew watery and she took a step back, almost as if the weight of his words had shoved her. "I didn't..." She trailed off softly, "It was self-defense."

"He wasn't hitting _you._ " Savannah muttered, the scar that lingered beneath her shorts and Jughead's shirt tingled slightly. It was as if she had just realised that her boyfriend was still there, and she went to him, reaching out to him.

He was standing just behind her, having gotten out of the bed while the family argued. His hand took hers and softly squeezed it in comfort, seeing in her eyes that she so desperately wanted to escape.

"Let's go." He murmured into her ear, feeling her nod before he had even finished saying the words.

Somedays, he thought as he watched Savannah shut the door in her mothers face and lock it, despite the banging on the door, he couldn't help but think their minds were linked - alike. On those days, she'd finish the ends of his sentences and he'd grin at her before offering a chaste kiss.

Other days, the days they spent with Betty Cooper, he couldn't decipher the looks on her face. The happy smiles didn't quite meet her eyes, and the sympathetic gazes toward Betty had something strange about it.

Savannah was sitting with her back to him on the edge of the bed. "Here."

He hadn't noticed, as he stared at her bare back, that she had pulled his shirt over her head and was passing it back to him. He felt like his hands were shaking as he reached forward and took it, feeling almost shameful that he was watching her as she pulled a large sweatshirt over her head.

Savannah turned her head over her shoulder and caught the eyes of her boyfriend. She let out a soft laugh and stood up to slide the shorts off her body, feeling his gaze on her with every move she made. She replaced them with a pair of thick leggings and finally moved over to her boyfriend.

He stood with the shirt still in his hand and she took it from him. It felt odd to be putting clothes on him, rather than taking them off - which she would have been more than willing to do, even with her mother banging on her bedroom door.

Kyle's sudden shouting from the hallway finally brought Jughead back to life, and he adjusted his shirt, reaching for his leather jacket and sliding it over his shoulders.

"Sorry." He laughed, running a hand through his hair before pulling his beanie from the jacket pocket and tugging it on his head.

"Don't be." Savannah placed her hands on his shoulders and pulled herself up to kiss him softly. "I'm yours, remember."

He didn't get a chance to reply as she tugged him from the room, the two barely having time to put on their shoes before her mother descended upon them once more, Kyle pulling at her all the while.

Savannah offered Kyle to come with them and he simply said that they had unfinished business to attend to.

She didn't ask.

A cipher.

The Black Hood's way of warning the town that he was still looming above their heads, ready to strike when they would least expect it. However, this time, he was telling them when he would, in the form of little symbols.

A code to crack.

Savannah could already tell that Jughead would be working on it, what with all the books he had taken out of the library. All to do with serial killers in masks. What he aimed to achieve, she wasn't sure, but didn't comment on it all the same.

It felt odd to be living in the same trailer as her boyfriend. It had only been for a couple of days and it was too easy. Too easy to slide past each other, or cuddle up on the couch at night, both reading a book or watching a movie on Jughead's laptop.

They were still in the honeymoon phase, it seemed.

Savannah knew she was late for school and hadn't really planned on getting a move on. She'd woken up with Jughead, watched him get ready for school - which was an absolute delight, she might add - and gave him a kiss goodbye as he left.

She felt like a housewife, and noticed that she didn't mind it at all. Her inner feminist screamed loudly, but she knew, she'd do anything for Jughead Jones.

Her phone beeped loudly, pulling her from her thoughts.

 _Please tell me you've decided to rejoin the land of the living. -_ Jughead.

Savannah smiled, almost giddily, at her boyfriend's text and found herself immediately typing back to a response.

 _I've found that there's no one missing me quite just yet. Maybe I can stay hidden a little longer :P_

She could see the three bubbles popping up, to show that he was typing. She loved when they would both just sit on their texts, watching them until the other person replied. They were both right there, on the other side of the phone.

 _I think you'll find that someone is missing you very much._ \- Jughead.

 _Ahh yes, your replacement to get burgers with during study. It's my turn to buy, so I imagine he will be waiting for me. - Savannah._

 _He? -_ Jughead.

 _Yes, he's tall, has dark hair. Quite handsome actually. -_ Savannah.

While it felt like their texts had been sent immediately, one had stopped replying for some time, finding that they had a pressing matter to attend to.

Jughead looked up at Toni who was beaming down at him, "What do you say, crack the code with me?"

"Sure." He found himself saying back.

There was a sound at the door and the two turned to look at it with confusion. They were the only two that used the room for the school Newspaper.

"Ah, damn it!" The door swung open to reveal a brunette, a Pop's diner bag in her arms, a large rip through the top of the bag. "There go my fries." She pouted at the ground, where they had fallen.

"Savannah?" Jughead frowned, rising from the table. "What are you doing here?"

"Well," Savannah started, moving into the room and forgetting her fries. "It's time for our burger break! I decided that since I hadn't made the first few classes of school, why bother now?" She moved forward to the girl with pinkish hair, "Hi, I'm Savannah!"

Toni looked between the two, trying to make a connection between the dark and broody boy, and the upbeat, bouncing girl. "Toni."

Jughead watched her as she settled herself down on the desk, ripping the bag open to act as a tray for their food. "So there is no replacement?" He found himself asking, a smirk taking over his mouth.

"No." Savannah shook her head as she started unwrapping her burger. "It's just..." She sighed, "Kevin always wants to get a salad or something healthy. It's been out of control since he stopped night-jogging."

"Night-jogging?" Toni repeated with a frown.

"Exactly." Savannah nodded, not really clarifying. "Come on, Jug. Not gonna make me eat alone, are you?" She then turned to Toni, "Sorry Toni, I didn't know you'd be here. I'm sure Jughead won't mind parting with his fries."

Jughead looked like he'd been attacked, and Savannah glared at him to be nice.

"Uh, thanks." Toni said, "But I should be getting going. Text me later, Jones."

"Bye Toni." He threw her a half-hearted wave, his attention entirely on the brunette on the table in front of him.

Toni made her way over to the door, the other two yammering away about how a salad was an unacceptable thing to order at Pop's diner. She turned at the door just in time to see Jughead lean across the table and press a kiss to the giggling girl's lips.

So that was the connection.

"There you are, my absentee friend!" Veronica cried as Savannah shut her locker, jumping at the girl's sudden appearance.

"Jeez, you're like the girl from The Ring, come to torture me." She sighed, eyes drawn to the large red circle on the girl's white shirt. "Let me guess, you're going to try and convince me to wear one of those too?"

"Not convince." Veronica tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps coerce?"

Savannah sighed again, "No need, gimme." She held a hand out for it.

"Great, I'll come with you to the bathroom -"

"No need." Savannah threw her bag to the ground and shrugged off her hoodie, passing it to the girl.

Veronica quickly reacted when she saw Savannah reach for the bottom of her shirt and spread the hoodie out to hide her from view. That was definitely something that she could get suspended for, and Veronica didn't want it to be for her sake.

"There." Savannah stretched out her arms and gave a twirl. "What do you think?"

Veronica dropped the hoodie and handed it back. "I think it calls for a selfie to be sent to that pesky boyfriend of yours."

"Pesky?" Savannah frowned.

"Traitor, southsider." She started listing, "I'm kidding. He's been screening Betty's calls."

"What?"

"Yeah, she wants him to help crack the code with her, but he's working with Toni, whoever that is." Veronica seemed like she wasn't a fan of Toni already.

"I've met her, she's okay." Savannah shrugged, "Maybe I can work something out, hang on."

She moved away from Veronica and pulled her phone out from her jeans pocket. Classes hadn't started yet, and she assumed he would be in the Red and Black newspaper room, so, she called him.

"Hello?" His voice was tired, almost as if he hadn't had his cup of coffee yet.

"Hello my dearest boyfriend." Savannah started off sweetly.

"Oh no, what do you want?" Jughead sighed.

Savannah loved that he could read her so easily. "I have heard from a little birdie that you and Betty Cooper haven't been as chummy lately, and so, I have decided that you're going to host a code-breaking party!"

"Code-breaking party, what is -"

"- that, Jug, is a peace offering to Betty considering she is one of your best friends and you will not abandon her for pastel pink-haired Toni."

"Pastel? It's more like -"

"- missing the point! Jughead!" Savannah cried out, throwing one of her hands up in exasperation. "Now, you're going to have Toni, Betty and Kevin over to try and make the peace."

"Are you not going to be there?"

"Of course I am, I practically live with you. You just know this sort of thing isn't my forte, I'll make the coffee. Speaking of which, go get your second cup, you sound like you're going to drop dead." Her voice still held the tone of mock disappointment toward her boyfriend, firm yet she could burst into laughter at any moment.

"Feels like it."

"Better make it quick then, and text Betty!" She said bossily, "Okay bye, love you."

It wasn't until she had hung up the phone and moved back to Veronica, a victorious smile on her face that she realised. She had just told Jughead Jones that she loved him. For the first time. On the phone.

"Oh."

"These symbols look so familiar to me." Betty cried out, looking up at Kevin. "It's like I've seen them before but I can't remember where. It's driving me crazy."

"Maybe if you loosened your ponytail." Toni commented.

Jughead looked up as if a shot had been fired, which in a way it had been, and Kevin looked at Toni as if she had lost her mind. Savannah, on the other hand, looked downright furious.

"Excuse me." She snapped from the kitchen, making a pot of coffee. "That was very rude."

"It was a joke!" Toni defended herself, her hands clutching one of many decipher books.

"Betty's ponytail is iconic and beyond reproach." Kevin told her with wide eyes.

Toni looked at him like he'd lost his mind.

"No, it's fine, Kev." Betty said with a sigh, her hands reaching up to pull her hair from its restraints. "At this point, I'll try anything."

"I'm going to bed." Savannah snapped, her eyes on her boyfriend with outrage.

The group muttered their half-hearted goodbyes as Savannah stomped her way into the bedroom, starting to pull off her shirt as she went.

She tossed it into some random corner of the room and started tugging on her jeans, the denim turning inside out as she stomped them off, kicking them into the same corner. She was just reaching behind her to unclasp her bra when she heard the door open behind her.

"Sorry, I should have knocked." He said softly.

Jughead had come after her, that gave him points in her book, but she was still furious.

Savannah turned around to face him, folding her arms across her bare stomach. "What is wrong with you?"

"What do you mean?" Jughead frowned, trying not to be insensitive to the serious topic at hand and allow his eyes to drift down his girlfriend's half-naked body.

While they somewhat lived together, Jughead had tried to be very respectful of Savannah and always left the room whenever she was changing. He would mumble something like he was going to brush his teeth, and leave. She wouldn't have minded if he stayed, to be honest.

"Toni!" Savannah hissed quietly, so the girl in question wouldn't hear them. "She was not joking. That was a dig at Betty. I can tell by the way she's been eyeing her up all night, she thinks that Betty is some girly girl, cute and innocent Northsider Priss."

"But Betty is -"

"Don't you _dare_ finish that sentence." Savannah held a finger up to him, her eyes alight. "The past couple of days, you have been so rude to Betty, and everything has been about Toni."

"She's my friend." Jughead defended.

"Is Betty not?" Savannah scowled, but then she softened her gaze with a sigh. "Do you like her?"

"Betty?" Jughead frowned, "As a friend, but that's it."

"I don't mean Betty."

It took a moment for Jughead to understand. "Toni?" He asked in disbelief. "No, of course I don't. How could I?" He asked, taking a step forward to the girl, "When I have you. I mean, you're amazing."

"Sometimes I don't think you feel that way." Savannah admitted, looking down at the ground.

"Trust me." He used a finger to lift her chin, forcing her eyes to meet his. "I do." He then finally slid his hands to her hips, feeling the soft skin against his slightly calloused hands. The rubber from the motorbike.

It was so easy, she thought, for him to make her smile. To make her melt against him like butter against a hot knife.

She leaned into him, her hands moving from her stomach to around his neck, one hand moving to play with the hair just there.

He seemed to lose himself in her, the way her lips felt against his, how her skin felt against his hand. If it was possible, they had moved even closer and his shirt brushed barely against her stomach.

He could feel the rise and fall of her breaths as her chest moved against his, feeling that there were too many layers between them.

This time, he didn't stop her as she started to tug his shirt over his head.

She saw him shirtless basically every night when she stole it to sleep in, but she was always so impressed when she did. His body was toned and defined enough to make her knees weak, but he wasn't ripped like Archie. He wasn't a brick wall to cuddle at night, and for that, she was thankful.

Somehow, she found that they had moved to the bed, his body pressing against her own, enough of his weight resting on her to feel like he was all around her - claustrophobic. Except it was in a good way, he was blocking her body, keeping her trapped there, but she didn't want to move.

"You realise," She said as he started kissing his way down her neck and settling on a spot that made her squirm. "We still have guests." She managed to squeak out, yet her legs hooked around his and locked him there with her ankles.

Jughead pulled back from her with a conflicted look in his eyes, "I completely forgot about them."

"I think I heard yelling." Savannah frowned suddenly, "But we were kinda, a little busy for me to focus on it."

"Crap." Jughead sighed and she loosened her hold for him to pull away from her. He stood up and looked back at her, "Please put something on because you are making this very difficult for me."

Savannah couldn't help but laugh and throw his shirt back at him, reaching over to her backpack that she had brought with her. She pulled out a pair of pyjamas that she had packed, a matching pair of ladybug shorts and a short-sleeved top that her brother had gotten her for her birthday.

"Now that's cute." Jughead commented as she stepped into the shorts and yanked the top over her head. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Go get rid of our guests." Savannah swatted at his shoulder and climbed back across the bed, nestling herself between the bedsheets.

Originally, she had planned on waiting for Jughead to get back. However, Savannah had always been one to fall asleep very quickly and she was fast asleep in five minutes.

Jughead had popped his head in to check on her but disappeared again. Betty had decided to stay so that they could keep working on the decipher. Toni and Kevin left after the former got into an argument with Betty. She didn't feel like leaving yet.

It was after a few hours that Savannah woke up, very aware that Jughead wasn't behind her, like he usually was. She would wake up many times in the night because she was too hot, her boyfriend acting like a raditor against her skin.

He wasn't there.

Savannah frowned and slid out of the bed, the floor cold beneath her bare feet.

"Jughead?" She whispered into the room, her hand reaching out for the bedroom door tentatively.

Couldn't be too careful when the Black Hood was around and sending out ciphers for where his next attack would be. He was targeting sinners, and who better than the infamous teenage whore who spent many nights in a taken man's bed.

She slipped into the living room, barely able to see from the darkness of the room, until she stepped past the kitchen and her eyes settling on the living room.

The street light outside illuminated the scene so perfectly that it made her feel sick.

Jughead Jones and Betty Cooper, curled up together on the couch of his trailer.

"You have got to be kidding me!"

The pair woke up with a start and the boy looked at the blonde as if she was a stranger. He couldn't have jolted away from her faster, leaving her on the couch, hugging herself and confused.

His eyes sought out Savannah, who stood by the door, her eyes filled with unshed tears.

"Savannah..."

"Don't touch me." The girl held out her hand, jaw clenched and body tensed.

"Please, just listen to me."

He reached out to her again and she sped out of the trailer as fast as she could, knowing that he would be only a few steps behind her.

She couldn't believe it. After all the things that he had said to her that night, whispered, the feel of his hands on her skin made her feel electric. It couldn't be one-sided, it couldn't have been.

Her thoughts were so distracting that she wasn't watching where she was going, or rather, where she stepped, until it was too late.

Savannah's foot buckled from beneath her, a searing pain shooting up the entire of her foot and then spreading up to her ankle. She felt her knees connect with the rough ground of the trailer park as she fell, before she rolled onto her side.

It was from a dirty glass bottle, a large shard sticking out from the bottom of her right foot.

She was in too much shock to even realise what had happened until the sharp pain she had felt when it happened, hit her all at once.

And she screamed.

Savannah supposed it was karma. She hadn't cared that much about Polly when Jason cheated on her, now it seemed only fair that she was getting it too. What goes around comes around. Except, she was getting double the dose at once.

Jughead was by her side in an instant, Betty now not far behind, having shot out of the trailer at the girl's cry.

"Oh my god." Jughead felt the pool of blood before he saw it, the dark proving to be a pain in a scenario like this. It wasn't particularly a large spread, but he was kneeling so close to her that there was no way he could have avoided it.

"No." Savannah cried, "Get away from me, just leave me."

"There's no way in hell that I'm leaving you." Jughead turned to Betty, who nodded and headed back for her mother's car which she had borrowed.

"How could you?" Savannah choked out between the tears, "How could you do that to me?"

"I promise," Jughead started, his own throat growing thick, "It was late, we were tired. We must have just fallen asleep and I didn't even know it was her."

"Oh, please." Savannah snapped, "Do you think I'm stupid?"

"Savannah, I love you!" He blurted out suddenly, his eyes flickering with determination. "Do you seriously think I would do that on purpose?"

Savannah didn't respond.

"We sleep like that, every single night." He pleaded with her, "Me and Betty... We didn't even fall asleep like that, I was no where near her, I swear to you. It just happened."

The voice in the back of her head was screaming that he was lying to her. It was the voice that also insisted that her mother had changed or her father didn't mean to hurt her. The voice that constantly over and over, tried to ruin her life.

So instead, she nodded, curtly, and said. "Okay." She took a deep breath, "I believe you."

"Thank you." Jughead sighed, "Now please, can we get you to the hospital?"

"I think that would be a good idea, yes."

* * *

 **WOW.**

 **Sorry it's been so long guys, so I decided to make this chapter extra long for you. I say that, it's been so long I can't even remember how long the chapters usually are.**

 **A little bit of drama for you all, I was gonna have Toni come between them but nah. I like Toni, she's fiesty. She and Savannah will be friends.**

 **Okay, until next time! Hopefully it isn't too far away :P**


	5. Chapter 5

***** **HINTS** **OF SEXUAL THEMES***

 **IRIDESCENT**

CHAPTER | **FIVE**

"Savannah!" Veronica cried upon seeing her friend back at school. "I've missed you! How have you been?"

The girl in question hobbled toward the glamorous raven-haired girl, her weight supported by a pair of rickety crutches. She still hadn't mastered how to use them, she supposed that was down to her brother, who had confined her to bed rest once they got home.

Once Jughead and Betty had gotten her to the hospital, she'd been wheeled away on a gurney. They'd removed the glass; taken about a hundred x-rays of her foot; given her a tetanus vaccine and then decided, she needed surgery.

Apparently, not only had she sprained her ankle on the fall, but the piece of glass was so large and cut so deep that it severed one of her tendons.

She only spent two nights in hospital before they ushered her out, insisting that she get lots of rest and didn't dare step foot back in school for two weeks.

It had felt like an eternity, even with Veronica sending her daily updates on what was doing on. Glossing very quickly over what was happening with the Black Hood, instead she focused on her relationship with Archie, and how Betty was doing.

While the blonde had spent time visiting Savannah during her time at home, the relationship between the two was very tense. Savannah had insisted that she forgave the two, after all, she wasn't exactly one to judge, but everything was still odd.

"You okay?" Jughead asked from beside his girlfriend.

Savannah turned to look at him. "Yeah."

"Okay, I better get to school." He muttered, leaning down to press a kiss to her cheek.

Savannah frowned as he quickly left the school and turned back to Veronica, who was looking at her with a perfectly arched brow.

"I thought you forgave him?" Veronica asked curiously.

"I did." Savannah sighed, moving her crutches about to get move comfortable. "I think he blames himself for me being in this." She gestures down to the cast on her foot. "I hope everything goes back to normal once it comes off."

"How long is that?"

"Supposed to be six weeks." Savannah told Veronica with a frown, "But my doctor says I'm making good recovery time, so I might be able to get it off soon and he'll put it in a support instead."

"Bye bye crutches." Veronica looked at them with disdain.

"Fingers crossed." Savannah sighed, "Thank you for your updates. I feel like I've missed so much."

Veronica shrugged, "Not too much. I mean, a few letters from the Black Hood, a threat here and there."

"Jughead and Archie taking part in a drag race." Savannah said, as if it were everyday news. "The Ghoulies getting rounded up. That sugarman guy getting shot. Betty being threatened by the Black Hood."

"A few minor details that you don't need to worry yourself about." Veronica dismissed the girl's words. "Did I tell you?" Her eyes tinkled with mischief. "Betty and I caught Sheriff Keller and Mayor McCoy. Together."

"Huh." Savannah pondered the thought, "Yeah, I can see that. Poor Josie and Kevin."

Veronica didn't say anything else. She simply took Savannah's backpack over her shoulder and the two walked - one hobbled, rather - to their next class.

Thankfully, they shared it together.

"Betty and I are meeting at Pop's." Jughead told Savannah over the phone, "We're going to discuss the Riverdale Reaper."

"Okay." Savannah said softly, not sure how she felt about the two hanging out, but also definitely sure that she didn't want to push Jughead even further away. "Have fun."

For a moment, her Jughead was back, in the way he laughed and muttered, "I don't think discussing how a family was murdered many years ago counts as fun, but I'll do my best."

"Good."

There was a pause before he replied again, "I'll bring you a burger for later."

"Will you stay tonight?" Savannah asked, hopefully.

Her mother had taken off again, yet another journey to go and find herself. One that didn't involve rehab and would potentially be a futile attempt at getting her life back together. She hadn't said goodbye.

"I don't know..."

"It's fine." Savannah said quickly, "Don't worry about it. Piper and Ryan are coming over later anyway so maybe we should just meet another night."

"If you're sure."

"Yep." Savannah caught sight of her brother lingering in the doorway, "I gotta go."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye."

Neither of them dared to utter the three words that they both felt, yet were scared to even think of. Savannah was afraid that Jughead was going to leave her at any moment. Jughead was terrified also, but his was for another reason altogether.

"Piper and Ryan aren't coming over." Kyle frowned at his sister, "They're going to see a movie tonight."

Savannah bowed her head and fixated on her bedsheets, "I know."

It wasn't until later that day that Savannah heard from Jughead. He and Betty were both standing at her front door, Kyle speaking to them like old friends, not knowing what had went down between them.

He ushered them up the stairs, saying that Savannah was binging some show on Netflix and drowning her sorrows in Kool Aid and popcorn.

"Up for some visitors?" Jughead asked, poking his head into her room.

Savannah lit up like a Christmas tree and nodded, very quickly deflating when she saw Betty come in behind him. The two settled on the side of her bed, Jughead closest to his girlfriend.

"What's up?" Savannah asked, pressing pause on her laptop and moving it down to the end of her bed. She pulled her foot up into a position where she could sit up with a wince. She noticed Jughead glancing at it with a pained expression.

Betty looked at Jughead expectantly and when he didn't reply, she broke the news for him. "FP is getting out of jail! We found out at Pop's earlier!"

Savannah looked at Jughead, almost hurt that he hadn't told her when he first heard, "That's amazing. I'm happy for you, Jughead."

He frowned at her use of his full name. She had only referred to him as Jug, or even Jones on certain occasions. A nickname of his nickname.

"Thanks." Jughead said to her with a small smile, which didn't meet his eyes.

Surprise, surprise.

Savannah was done. She'd had enough.

"Betty, would you mind if I speak to Jughead for a few minutes?" She asked, trying to keep her voice steady when all she wanted to do was yell at him.

"Sure." Betty agreed, looking between the two cautiously before leaving the room and disappearing downstairs.

When Savannah heard her foot on the last step, she exploded, "If you're going to break up with me, can you just do it already?"

"Break up with you?" Jughead looked taken aback, "Why would I break up with you?"

"You barely speak to me and when you do, you treat me like some injured animal!" Savannah snapped, "You don't want to stay over anymore and I can't remember the last time we kissed!"

"It was the trailer." Jughead said guiltily.

Savannah's rage faltered and her stomach lurched. "Is that why?"

"No." Jughead sighed, "Yes. I don't know. All I ever wanted was to keep you safe, with all this Black Hood stuff going on and..."

"And what?"

"Penny Peabody." Jughead admitted, feeling as if a thousand tonnes just fell from his shoulders. "She's the reason my dad is getting out of jail and she seems to think Betty is my girlfriend. She threatened her if I didn't do her bidding."

"I see." Savannah didn't know what to think. How much time had they been spending together while she was "out of action" that some random woman thought they were together.

"Betty knows." Jughead told her. "I didn't want Penny to know about you. Especially when you're in a slightly more vulnerable state."

"So you don't think I can defend myself?" Savannah guessed with a roll of her eyes, glaring down at her foot. "You think I'm weak."

"I think that you're at a disadvantage at the moment." Jughead took her hands, the action causing her to look at him. "I think you're one of the strongest people I know."

"Apart from Archie." Savannah joked.

Jughead smiled, the ghost of a laugh on his lips. "Yeah, apart from Archie." He shuffled closer to her, "As soon as you're better, I'll send Penny right to your door if you want."

"I know you wouldn't." Savannah laughed, "But I appreciate you saying it."

"You could definitely beat her in a fight." Jughead continued, "Even if she is a Serpent."

"How do you become a Serpent?" Savannah asked suddenly, "I know how you became one, with the whole getting a knife from a snake, the being punched by your soon-to-be "brothers". Do they make the women go through that?"

Jughead looked uncomfortable all of a sudden. "Uh no." He swallowed thickly. "They have to dance on a pole for the guys to watch them."

"Sexist." Savannah sighed, "Ugh, that makes me angry."

"Sorry that I'm kinda part of it." Jughead looked sheepish. "But I can promise that if some female is trying to become initiated, I'll quickly excuse myself."

Savannah smirked at him, "Not into seeing stripping girls on poles?"

"Not unless it's you."

"Cheeky." Savannah murmured, and then she kissed him.

It felt like it had been too long, because it had. It had been two weeks since she had last felt his lips on her own and if she could barely last a few hours without so much as a gentle peck, then after two weeks, it was as if she would explode.

Each time their lips pulled apart and met again in tiny pecks, it made Savannah think more and more that their time apart, or distant, was all worth it. That it was all a million times better than before.

They were thankful that Betty was downstairs, in the back of their minds, listening out for the thudding of feet on the steps. Little did they know that Betty was in the living room with Kyle, both of them with a controller in hand and her whooping that she was beating him.

Savannah leaned back, pulling Jughead with her by latching onto his shirt and tugging gently. He didn't need much convincing to go with her, crawling over the top of her body, careful not to crush her with his weight.

She could have died and gone to heaven when he finally opened his mouth to her and caressed her tongue with his own, their breaths mingling together until a whimper fell from her mouth and he swallowed the sound.

Jughead couldn't help but pull away to laugh and Savannah swatted him with her hand.

"I'm sorry." He laughed again, "It's just, I've missed that."

"I've missed you." Savannah pouted, pulling him back down to her.

They only kissed for a few more moments before Jughead pulled himself away again and Savannah groaned in frustration. He couldn't help but love the sound.

"You'll be the death of me."

"This isn't how I want it to be." Jughead shook his head at her.

"Who says we have to have sex?" Savannah looked up at him mischievously. Her hand drifted down to the belt that held up his jeans.

"Savannah..." Jughead almost warned her, but the threat was absent from his voice as he didn't stop her nimble fingers from undoing the latch.

She paused though, looking up at him through thick lashes, "Want me to stop?"

"No." He admitted.

"Good." Savannah quickly flipped them over and pressed another kiss to his mouth. "I really have missed you."

Jughead wanted to reply, but quickly found, he was unable to speak at all.

When Betty returned, she found Savannah smirking against the bedpost and Jughead on the other end of the bed. He looked jumpy, as if they'd been caught doing something terrible, whereas his girlfriend was reading a book, looking totally innocent.

"Is everything okay in here?" Betty asked.

"Yes!" Jughead replied too quickly, looking back at Savannah, who laughed lightly.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah." Savannah nodded, "He's more than fine."

Jughead looked at her, eyes dropping to her lips before he forced himself to look away.

When they heard Betty's footsteps coming back up the stairs, Jughead flung himself away from Savannah, who was more than happy to let Betty catch them, considering it wasn't exactly her in a compromising state.

"Wanna watch Thirteen Reasons Why with me Betty?" Savannah asked the girl, directing the conversation away.

"Sure." Betty nodded, moving onto the bed with her. "Are you going to watch with us, Jug?"

Jughead looked back at Savannah, who was conveniently licking her lips when he did, reminding him of what had just happened between them. He shivered and tried to move further away from the girl.

"Jug!" Betty cried, "What is wrong with you?"

"Yeah, Jug." Savannah's smirk stayed consistent. "Get ahold of yourself."

"I'm gonna go!" Jughead decided, jumping up and scurrying from the room without even so much as a goodbye.

"Did you two argue?" Betty asked Savannah.

"Nope." Savannah popped the simple word with a smile. "Let's just say, I was very forgiving of Jughead's recent behaviour."

Betty suddenly jumped up from the bed. "Ew, gross!"

Savannah couldn't help but cackle.

FP was out of jail, and Betty and Jughead had gone to pick him up with the help of Alice Cooper, who had insisted that she had to see that for herself. Savannah was waiting at the trailer, sitting on the kitchen counter with her crutches resting between her legs.

She remembered the last time she saw him. It was at Jughead's birthday party, long before they'd gotten together.

It was the night of their almost kiss, and she looked back fondly on it.

It was also the night that she and Piper put their past aside and started anew. Whilst Piper had decided to transfer to Southside High, they still kept in touch with texts, but mostly she heard about them through Kyle.

He and Piper were still close, which Savannah thought was very admirable.

There was a rattle at the door and when it opened, Savannah got her first look at the newly freed FP Jones. His hair was a little scruffy and his stubble longer than he'd like it, but he looked the same as before.

"Mr. Jones!" Savannah cried, attempting to right her crutches so that she could jump down.

"Here," Jughead quickly moved past his dad to help her down, letting her lean against him for support instead of the blasted sticks she couldn't get the hang of. "Dad, I'm sure you remember Savannah. My girlfriend."

"Hi!" Savannah waved enthusiastically.

"Hey." FP chuckled, "Call me FP. Mr. Jones makes me sound so old." He moved forward to shake the girls hand, but she had other ideas, throwing herself forward to hug him.

He stumbled back in surprise, but managed to catch her all the same, looking over her shoulder at his son, who was smiling back widely. He couldn't help but grin along with him.

"Sorry." Savannah laughed and pulled back, "I've just been so excited for Jughead, he's worked so hard to try and get you out."

Jughead appeared with her crutches and Savannah pecked him on the cheek as thanks. She adjusted herself and moved back from FP with a sheepish smile.

"What happened to you?" FP laughed, looking at the girl who was still struggling with her crutches. He didn't miss the look between his son and his girlfriend.

"Uh, I stepped on a glass bottle outside the trailer park." Savannah told him, "My blood has probably stained the ground forever."

"Ahh, you've laid your mark on the Southside."

"Speaking of!" Savannah grew excited, "You must be looking forward to seeing all your old friends!"

"I'm not going back to the Serpents." FP announced with a tired smile, "Thought about it a lot when I was in Shankshaw and I'm not going back. It's gonna be one last ride for my boy and I, it's too much of a slippery slope for me."

Savannah nodded solemnly. "I bet that was hard for you to decide."

"I've made a lot of bad choices but that was easy for me to decide." FP looked to Jughead, "I'm in AA, I've decided to get a job, and I'm fixing all the mistakes that I made. I'm going to be a better dad."

"Trust me, Mr. Jones." Savannah said, ignoring his insistance to use his name. "You're doing a pretty good job to me."

She then excused herself to use the bathroom, and FP turned to Jughead with a raised brow.

"Turns out her dad wasn't the nice guy we all thought he was." Jughead admitted quietly to his father. "Beat her mom and her brother. From the sounds of it, she didn't get away easily either."

FP's eyes went dark. "No man should ever lay hands on his wife, or his kids."

"Well, he can't now." Jughead sighed, "Unless he magically resurrects himself from the grave."

"Let's hope he doesn't." Savannah rejoined them and moved to Jughead's side. "Like I said, you're doing a pretty good job to me."

FP offered her a weak smile and she smiled back.

"This is exciting!" Savannah cheered as Betty helped her out of the car outside the Whyte Wyrm. "FP's retirement party from the Serpents!"

"Yeah." Betty looked conflicted. "It's going to be great."

"Veronica and Archie are singing," Savannah started off, a giant grin on her face. "Your mom looks great! She's become a Serpent again for the night, it's all coming together."

"Thank you, Savannah." Alice came around the side of the car, decked in black. She looked very, if Savannah could even say this about her friend's mother, sexy in her all black attire.

The brunette had also dressed for the occasion. She was wearing a black skater dress that Veronica had loaned to her, and despite the classy girl being curvier than Savannah, she still thought that she managed to pull it off quite well. She'd attempted heels but with one foot in a cast and with crutches, it was a bad idea.

Betty, however, was wearing heels and did not dress for the occasion. She had a pink skirt on with a blue shirt tucked into it.

When they entered the Whyte Wyrm, all eyes were on them, or rather, Alice. She walked like she owned the place, as if their stares egged her on, fuelling her confidence. She was a Serpent and everyone that looked at her, knew it.

"Betty, Mrs. Cooper, you look incredible." His eyes took in Alice's outfit and he seemed glad to see that she was really trying for FP. He then moved to his girlfriend and his hands found her waist easily, "Hi there."

"Hi." Savannah greeted back, leaning forward to kiss him softly. Her hand moved up to his neck and she growled when her crutch betrayed her and fell to the floor.

Jughead laughed and pulled back, reaching down to pick it up for her. "I bet you can't wait for them to be gone."

"No." Savannah smirked, " _You_ can't wait for them to be gone."

"And why is that?" Jughead reflected her smirk.

"You'll have to wait and see, won't you?" Savannah laughed and hobbled back over to Alice and Betty, taking the Shirley Temple that Alice ordered for her and Betty.

They took their drinks and moved toward the stage when they saw Veronica and Archie at their microphones. The music for "Mad World" started playing and Savannah squealed next to Jughead, who looked at her with adoration at her excitement.

He hadn't seen her like this before.

Savannah couldn't help but feel giddy when she was around Jughead and his dad. It made her feel happy to see a father/child relationship that was actually somewhat positive, and they were all each other had. She couldn't imagine how hard it was to live away from your loved ones.

She couldn't relate.

That giddiness, however, went away when she saw Veronica rush off the stage in tears and Archie tore after her. The look that had been in Veronica's eyes had shown that she was absolutely terrified and had no idea what to do about it.

Savannah moved away from her friends and started toward the door to go find Veronica when she heard a completely different voice pick up where they had left off.

Betty.

The girl was clutching the microphone, her eyes closed as she sang into it, but it only lasted a few seconds. Her eyes flashed open in determination and her hands slid to her shirt, starting to undo the buttons.

It wasn't until she started moving to the pole that was just a few feet away that Savannah snapped.

Betty kept undressing herself, moving herself around the pole in some black lingerie, when the music suddenly stopped and a crutch went flying onto the stage, startling the blonde.

" _What the hell do you think you're doing!_ " Savannah shrieked, her voice loud against the quiet room. "He is _my_ boyfriend!"

"Savannah..." Betty started, picking up her skirt and starting to zip it up. "I just wanted to be there for him."

"By joining the Serpents?"

Alice had returned from the bathroom and her eyes settled upon the scene. Her hands flew to her mouth as she put the pieces together, her daughter, half-dressed by the pole; and Savannah, looking absolutely furious.

The brunette stomped up the stairs, almost forgetting that she had torn the tendons in her foot, until she let out a cry of pain and fell to the ground, landing on the stage beside her friend.

"Savannah, please." Betty moved to help her friend.

Savannah slapped her hand away, allowing Jughead, who had shot to her as soon as she fell, to help her up. "What the hell is wrong with you, Betty?"

Betty looked to Jughead, who wouldn't meet her eyes. It seemed like he agreed with her.

The blonde stood there as Jughead helped Savannah back down the stairs and they both left the Whyte Wyrm together, after a nod from FP, who was moving up the steps to place his jacket over a barely dressed Betty Cooper.

When back at the trailer, Savannah was muttering angrily under her breath, unable to control her rage toward her best friend. At first she thought that Betty was admirable for taking Archie and Veronica's place.

Now the thought of her friend made her feel sick.

"Savannah."

"I could be a Serpent." Savannah said suddenly. "I can do that, let's go back, I'll do the dance."

Jughead caught his girlfriend's wrist before she made it to the door. "Please, I don't want you to do that."

"You don't want me to be a Serpent?" Savannah asked him harshly.

"No, I don't want a room full of grown men watch you as you dance in your underwear." Jughead said with frustration.

Savannah thought for a moment before she smiled. "The rules say that the girl needs to do the dance in front of the Serpents, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Does it say how many Serpents?"

Jughead frowned at the girl who was leading them toward the couch. "No, why?"

Savannah's hands found his neck and her crutches fell to the ground. It didn't matter, she didn't need them. "You say you don't want a _room_ full of men watching me dance in my underwear..." She trailed off, her hand going to the bottom of her dress.

"Savannah..." Jughead almost groaned, knowing that he would be very easy to convince as soon as the fabric hit the floor. "You're just doing this because of Betty."

"No." Savannah pressed her lips to her boyfriend's softly. "I'm doing this for you, and only you. You are the only one who gets to see dance in my underwear."

Jughead tried to protest again, but fell short as Savannah pulled the dress over her head and she threw it at him, using her hands to push him down onto the couch.

"What were you going to say?" Savannah asked teasingly.

Jughead's mouth gaped like a fish as he thought of something to say. "Nothing, forget me."

"Trust me," Savannah managed to keep the majority of her weight on her left foot, "I don't think that's possible."

* * *

 **Sorry Betty fans! I promise her and Savannah will make up. Betty is fighting something at the moment and it will all become clear soon!**


	6. Chapter 6

**IRIDESCENT  
**

CHAPTER | **SIX  
**

"I hate Christmas." Savannah muttered to Cheryl, "I hate it, I hate it."

"Well I love it." Cheryl said to her friend, swinging her hands by her sides. "It's festive and... it was JJ's favourite holiday."

"Sorry, Cheryl." Savannah paused to turn to her friend. "How are you doing? You know, with Jason and that scumbag -"

"Let's not mention his name." Cheryl cleared her throat. "I'm doing much better. I have my friends, and I just want to put it all behind me."

"I can do that." Savannah nodded and the two smiled at each other. "I actually have something to give you."

She paused to put her crutches against the wall, and dug into her backpack. She reached in for a very thin parcel that was wrapped in red wrapping paper, and tied off with a silver boy.

"Here." Savannah held it out to her, "I'm your Secret Santa."

Cheryl looked taken aback, but took the gift all the same. She started to unwrap the gift, holding the wrapping paper in one hand as she unraveled it completely.

It was a certificate for the naming of a star. Cheryl felt her eyes start to water as she looked at the name: Jason Blossom. Savannah had decided that it would be nice to name a star after him so that he was always looking out for her.

Cheryl looked up at Savannah, who was smiling as if waiting for her reaction. The red-haired girl threw her arms around her, an act that wasn't very Cheryl Blossom, and whispered into her ear, "Thank you."

"Of course, Cheryl." Savannah hugged her back tightly.

The two girls broke apart and made their way into the common room where everyone was starting to hand out their Secret Santa gifts. Cheryl sat down in the empty seat next to Kevin, while Savannah decided to throw herself down into Jughead's lap.

"Santa." She started looking up at the ceiling as if in thought, "This year, I want a pony, my own car, a brand new wardrobe... oh, and a really sexy, brooding, bad boy, Serpent boyfriend."

"Want me to set you up with Sweetpea?" Jughead joked, the girl looking at him and swatting at his arm. "Who was your Secret Santa?" He whispered into her ear.

"Wasn't you anyway." Savannah told him, looking at the sweatshirt that Kevin had given him. It was like one of his 'S' shirts but thicker and much more useful in the winter. "Nice idea."

"Mhm."

"I got Cheryl." Savannah told him, and they left it at that.

They watched as Veronica deflated at Archie's gift to Betty. He had found a record that they used to listen to when they were five years old, and she was ecstatic when she uncovered his gift. It was a meaningful gift, showing how long and strong their friendship was.

"Thank you, Arch." Betty smiled at him, the boy smiling just as widely back at her.

Kevin spoke up, clearing his throat. "Savannah, open yours."

Savannah locked eyes with Betty, the blonde's smile disappearing suddenly, replaced with guilt. She had been Savannah's Secret Santa, and had gotten her gift well before the whole showdown at the Whyte Wyrm.

The brunette leaned forward, feeling Jughead's hands slide down from her waist to her hips as she did. The gift was wrapped in gold paper, so neatly that Savannah almost felt bad when she ruthlessly tore it open.

It was a copy of 13 Reasons Why, the book.

The two girls linked eyes, both of them remembering how that day after Jughead left, they had binged the entire show. Savannah had willingly went back to the beginning of the season to watch Betty's reaction to the whole thing.

They had agreed to wait for the second season together and watch it all in the one day. They even pinkie swore on it.

Savannah's hands felt clammy against the book and her throat thick as she thanked the blonde, and quickly left the room.

"Savannah!" Betty went after her, leaving the awkward atmosphere behind her. The group sat quietly after the two left, all eyes on Jughead for some reason. He shrugged.

"Betty, please." Savannah sighed as the girl quickly caught up to her. "It was a really nice gift but it doesn't undo everything that happened."

"Please, Savannah." Betty pleaded with her, "I don't know what I was thinking, I can't think straight. I really need your help."

Savannah turned to the girl who had desperation in her eyes, and her heart melted. "Tell me the truth. Do you like Jughead?"

"No." Betty answered immediately, "I wasn't dancing for Jughead, Savannah. Please, just... just trust me on it. I have some things I need to figure out."

"Okay." Savannah agreed, "But please try to stop flocking around my boyfriend. I know he's your best friend but it's kinda killing me."

"Okay." Betty laughed, almost tearfully. "Thank you."

Savannah felt better that she and Betty had made up. It made her feel like everything was back to normal, except, she would really like to get out of those crutches. Luckily for her, she had an appointment at the doctor's to get her cast off the next day.

Her happy mood, however, didn't last very long as Betty caught eyes with the janitor.

"Betty?" Savannah asked, as the blonde strode right up to the janitor and asked who he was. "What's going on?"

"Mr. Svenson." Betty turned to the brunette, "Archie and Veronica figured out his story, his secret, and now he's gone."

"Do you think the Black Hood found him?" Savannah frowned.

"Maybe." Betty ran a hand through her hair. "Maybe they led the Black Hood right to him."

"There we go." Dr. Manstead said, finishing up cutting off Savannah's cast. "Did you feel that?"

"Just the vibrations." Savannah laughed, curling her toes. "It still hurts a little, but not as bad as it did."

"That's good." The doctor nodded, standing up. "Do you want to try walking without your crutches?"

"Okay." Savannah took a deep breath in, and pushed herself gently off the edge of the examination table.

Her feet touched the ground and she continued lowering herself until they were fully on the floor. As she took one step, her face scrunched up in pain just as she pushed off with her right foot.

"How painful, on a scale of one to ten?"

"About a four." Savannah told him, "Definitely manageble."

"As you keep walking with it, I imagine some of the pain is due to the stiffness in your ankle, not being able to move it for over a month."

"So... no crutches?"

"No crutches."

"EW!" Savannah cried out upon seeing the finger that the Black Hood had gifted Betty.

" _Enclosed is a finger that belongs to the sinner Joseph Conway._ " Archie read the note that was sent with the gift.

Betty had asked Savannah and Archie to come over as soon as she opened it. Both Betty and Archie had paid a visit to Mr. Svenson's house earlier that day to see if he was okay, but there was no answer at the door.

They suspected that he hadn't been home. The receptionist at the school had left a pot of chicken soup at his door the other day, and it was still sitting there when they visited.

"Joseph Conway." Savannah repeated, "Is that Mr. Svenson?"

"Yeah." Betty nodded, staring into the mirror as one of her hands clutched at her throat.

" _You have one final trespass to unearth._ " Archie continued, " _Find the truth, reveal it to the town and you'll perhaps save his life._ "

"He kidnapped Mr. Svenson!" Betty snapped, growing frustrated. "And now he's mutilating him."

Just then, Betty's phone started to ring, showing an unknown number.

"Oh no." Savannah tugged her legs up onto the bed. "That's him, isn't it?"

Betty didn't reply, and Archie came up beside her, the two looking at the phone intently.

With a shaky breath, Betty slid her finger across the screen to accept the call, and put it on speaker.

" _Betty, please!_ " A voice cried out in panic, a lot of shuffling muffling his voice.

"Mr. Svenson?" Betty looked between the two and back down at the phone with wide eyes. "Is that you?"

"It is, Betty." A distorted voice said. The Black Hood. "But his name is Joseph Conway. He's lost a lot of blood. Though it's nothing compared to the blood on the hands of this town. Exhume the past, find where the primal sin was committed, and you'll find the sinner Conway may be alive. And as always, don't -"

Archie suddenly grabbed the phone, "What? You maniac, don't tell Sheriff Keller?"

The call ended there with a beep.

"What sin? What can Mr. Svenson possibly be guilty of?"

"Veronica and I talked to him. His entire family was murdered by some crazy preacher."

"Maybe the people who adopted him know something we don't."

"Wait." Archie interjected, "Before he was adopted, Mr. Svenson lived as Joseph Conway at the Sisters of Quiet Mercy."

"Noooo." Savannah drawled out, "My worst fear is a creepy little nun woman, like in that movie, The Conjuring?" She looked between the two, pleadingly. "Please don't tell me you're going to ask me to limp through some crazy Christian rehabilitation center."

The look on Archie and Betty's faces said enough.

The woman sitting in front of them didn't look like the scary nuns in the movies. She looked relatively normal, with her hair tied up in a bun, dressed in black business attire.

"Joseph Conway, or Joseph Svenson, as you know him, was a troubled youth." She told the three teenagers sitting before her. "There was no saving him."

"Meaning, he was a sinner?" Archie interjected, feeling hopeful.

"No, he was a child, a victim."

"Did he suffer from survivor's guilt?" Betty asked the woman, she made to ask another question but the woman in front of them looked at the window.

"Oh!" Savannah clutched at her chest. "She's a scary, scary woman!"

A nun, with dark shallowed eyes and a scowl on her face, passed by the window. She paused, long enough to stare down the woman that was speaking to them, before moving on and out of sight.

"I've already said too much." The woman said to them and made to stand.

"No." Betty said bluntly, her two friends looking at her in surprise.

"Betty -" Archie started.

Betty held her hand out to stop him saying anything else. "Sister Woodhouse, when my sister escaped this dungeon, she told me all about the corporal punishment. So, please, help us with this, or I will expose the Sisters of Quiet Mercy for the house of horrors that it really is."

"She's scary when she's blackmailing people." Savannah whispered to Archie, who nodded, unable to take his eyes off Betty.

Sister Woodhouse looked troubled, but continued telling them about Mr. Svenson, "After his family was massacred, young Conway - young Svenson, identified the man responsible. Then a small group of Riverdale citizens took matters into their own hands... and, well, executed him."

"And he was sure it was him?" Savannah asked the woman, leaning forward on the table she was sitting on.

The sister looked conflicted, "Well, it wasn't until later that he admitted to us, that in his terror and shock, he may have pointed a finger of accusation -"

"At the wrong man." Betty finished for her, an unreadable expression on her face. "Oh my god. Svenson's sin was sentencing the wrong man to death." She turned from Archie to the sister once more. "Did Svenson - Conway ever talk about who carried out the execution?"

There was footsteps down the hallway and the sister didn't speak until they disappeared. "They came here once to see Joseph. It was a group of men and one woman. I don't know their names, and I can't remember what they looked like. Just that the woman had the most striking hair, it was white, save for a cherry red stripe.

"Nana Rose Blossom." Savannah said immediately, remembering the woman who lived with Cheryl at Thistle House, and before that, Thornhill. She'd been to Cheryl's a few times and met the woman, an odd character.

"Cheryl, we need to see your grandmother." Betty insisted, without even so much as a hello when the girl opened the door.

"Hi." Savannah added, looking at her blonde friend with a shake of her head. "She also meant to say hi."

Cheryl smiled at them, "Nana Rose seldom has visitors. She'll be pleased. Entree."

The three teenagers made their way further into the house and Savannah couldn't help but gape at the inside. Even though she had been there before, it wasn't at Christmas, and the decorations that Cheryl had put up were beautiful and impressive

"The house looks amazing, Cheryl." Savannah said to the girl, who beamed.

"Thank you, Savannah."

Cheryl moved to stand behind her grandmother, who was looking out the window in thought.

"Nana Rose." Betty started, looking anxiously at the woman and then at Cheryl. "We have some questions for you about something that happened in Riverdale a long time ago."

Archie took over, "A man killed his family and a group of people decided to take justice into their own hands."

"Oh dear. Here? In Riverdale." Nana Rose croaked. Her voice was entirely creepy, Savannah thought, the typical old woman in all those horror movies - along with the nuns - that gave her the heebies. This whole day seemed to be a step right into her nightmares.

"Yes," Betty answered her, "And you were part of that group, weren't you?"

Cheryl frowned at them, looking afronted that they would question her grandmother in such a way. "What is this? A Christmas inquest?" She waved them off and started to move her grandmother away.

"Cheryl!" Archie pleaded with her, "A man's life is at stake."

"We need to find him before he bleeds out... or worse." Savannah swallowed thickly at the thought of them being too late. She was new to the whole try and solve a murder thing. It was usually Betty and Jughead who did all the detective work.

"Where you with this group when they..." Betty broke off and took a deep breath, "When you killed this man for revenge?"

"Oh no." Nana Rose looked at them, one of her eyes clouded and white. "No girls allowed. They told me to stay at home while they took care of the bad man."

Betty and Archie shared a look and the former kneeled down in front of Nana Rose. "Nana Rose. This is so important. Where did they hang the bad man?"

"Oh, they didn't hang him." Nana Rose told her, as if this were just any old children's story. "Oh no, they gave him a proper burial. Buried him alive." Nana Rose loomed over Betty, causing Archie to take hold of her shoulder and pull her up.

Cheryl looked traumatised.

"Where? Where did they do that?" Archie asked her.

"Ask your grandfather, Polly dear, he was there."

"My - my grandfather?" Betty choked out, pointing to herself as if it couldn't be true. "Oh my god."

Savannah called after her as Betty ran out of Thistle house. She exchanged a look with Archie and he nodded at her, the boy staying and finding out the rest of the story as the girl chased after their friend.

"Betty, wait!"

Betty had just made it to the car and was leaning back against it, doubled over as if trying to catch her breath. Her breathing was heavy, she felt as if she was choking, drowning.

"Betty," Savannah held the girl's shoulders and looked at her with worried eyes. "Are you okay?"

It took a few moments until the blonde girl finally looked up at her, her eyes locking onto the brunette's and she seemed to take a little bit longer to catch her breath until she suddenly didn't need to anymore.

Savannah let out a squeak as she felt Betty's lips against her own. She hadn't expected it. Not at all, not in any way. It almost knocked her off her feet at how sudden it was.

Somehow, after all that they had been through, Savannah could tell that Betty needed this, she needed to feel something. And so, pleading that Jughead would forgive her, Savannah started to kiss the girl back.

It was different than kissing Jughead. Their kisses were always so fast, as if they couldn't get enough of each other quick enough, as if they thought one of them was going to disappear at any second.

Kissing Betty was slow, but it screamed all the emotions that they were feeling. Her lips were soft and Savannah could taste the flavoured chapstick that she was wearing, and almost instinctively, her hand moved up to cup Betty's cheek.

It felt like it was all too quickly when they heard the front door open, and the pair sprung away from each other. Their lips were red, the two looking at each other like a deer in headlights.

"Oh my god." Savannah clutched at her stomach, feeling sick that she had done that to her boyfriend.

Betty's eyes were wide and her mouth gaped, not quite believing that she had done it.

"I need to go." Savannah said suddenly, turning away from the two, ignoring Archie's questions as she made a break for it, running into the trees as if she had a destination and knew exactly where she was going.

It was when she was suddenly in the middle of the forest and had absolutely no idea where she was, that she realised what a terrible mistake she had made.

This made her a cheater. One hundred percent.

She hadn't just been the other woman, she was now a cheater, and that would stay with her for the rest of her life, even if she didn't stay with Jughead.

It made her feel even worse that she had gotten caught up in her kiss with Betty, her best friend, a girl. Savannah had never thought of herself kissing a girl before, never even entertained the thought that she could be into one.

She wasn't into Betty, she told herself. And she meant it. With all her heart, she could absolutely say that she was in love with Jughead.

While the girl was having a battle with her inner self, she didn't quite hear the snap of a twig behind her. The near-silent clomp of black boots against the forest floor. Of a man that was sneaking up behind her. The Black Hood.

Until it was too late.

He had been following them, it seemed. Following them as they tried to find the trail that led to Mr. Svenson, or Mr. Conway. Whatever they wanted to call him. He hadn't intended on going after the Clarke girl until he saw her leave the other two, giving him a perfect time and place, for an execution.

She heard him at the last second, just before a rope found itself around her neck, her hand slid up to block it, an instinct when she heard the rustle of his jacket near her ear. Her palm dug into the rope and she gasped as his hand circled around in an attempt to choke her.

Savannah couldn't believe that it was happening. She hadn't even seen the Black Hood, but she should have known that he would come for her. It was inevitable. Go for the ultimate sinner.

Thou shalt not commit adultery. It was one of the ten commandments.

Still, she wasn't ready to die. She wasn't ready to give in.

The girl mustered all the strength that she could in her good foot and stomped down on his, hearing him hiss in pain behind her ear. She remembered all the lessons that Kyle had given her, go for the weak spots.

In his pain, she managed to push herself further from his body, jabbing her elbow back right into his neck.

As he stumbled, Savannah slid under the rope and took off running. He recovered quick, she could hear that from the rustling of leaves behind her, he was chasing her down, and he would be faster.

Her foot still hadn't healed, and she was told to take it easy, not to push herself.

This was definitely pushing herself.

As she ran, Savannah looked around for a weapon, something to hit her attacker with, and then she saw it. A heavy looking log, it looked almost too heavy for her to lift but with enough momentum, it would do.

Savannah sprinted toward it and tugged at it, pulling and yanking until she was able to swing it in his direction, not watching to see if it hit its target.

However, by the oof that she heard behind her, and the sudden thud, she knew that the log hit its mark. She didn't stop running as she saw the street lights on a main road ahead of her, she was in the Southside.

The trailer park wasn't too far from where she was and she knew how to get there. Savannah just had to have hope that the Black Hood wouldn't catch up to her on the way.


End file.
